The Egyptian Popular Current, a Nasserist political group headed by former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi, has described meetings between US Ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson and opposition figures as an unacceptable foreign intrusion in Egyptian domestic affairs.

Patterson has been making the rounds contacting top opposition leaders to mediate a deal that could defuse calls for demonstrations 30 june aimed at securing early presidential elections and the ouster of Presdent Mohamed Morsi.

The Popular Current denounced Patterson's recent statement in which she referred to violence that, she said, usually accompanies protests.

"This is considered to be direct interference in Egyptian domestic affairs," the group's statement read. "The Egyptian people will rise victorious by their own free will, without advice or recommendations from anyone."

It was reported that leaders of the Popular Current had been among those who met with Patterson. The group strenuously denied these reports.

The "Rebel" campaign — a signature drive launched in May with the intention of "withdrawing confidence" from Morsi by collecting 15 million citizen endorsements for early elections — made the call for mass protests 30 June, the first anniversary of Morsi's coming to power, demanding the president's ouster.

In addition to gaining the endorsement of secular opposition parties and groups, including the National Salvation Front, the main opposition umbrella group, remnants of the old regime are confirmed to be supporting the campaign and its initiative to topple the present Islamist regime.

The Rebel campaign seeks to collect more endorsements than the number of votes Morsi garnered (roughly 13 million) in the last stage of 2012's presidential elections.

Already, on 29 May, the campaign announced that it had collected seven million signatures, less than a fortnight after its launch. It is yet to reveal the final number of amassed endorsements. It accuses the Morsi administration of "failing to implement policies to improve the life of ordinary people," citing Egypt's increasingly dire economic situation, among other factors.

Morsi was inaugurated as president 30 June 2012 after narrowly beating rival Ahmed Shafiq in the presidential elections' runoffs.

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André

28-06-2013 09:06am

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Morsi=Nasser?

@Sam Enslow,
Hi,
I don't think one can compares Morsi to Nasser. The Muslim brothers don't know how to govern. Concerning the US, they just realized before others counties that it was easier to target and control a weak independent state rather than a colony.

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Sam Enslow

20-06-2013 06:43am

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The New Nasser?

There is an Egyptian joke: If you did not go to jail under Nasser, you will never go to jail. If you did not get rich under Sadat, you will never get rich. If you did not go broke under Mubarak, you will never go broke.
People seem to forget that the US and Nasser worked on many projects together. It was President Eisenhower who used the strength of the US Army to prevent Israel, England, and France from taking the Suez Canal. The public face of diplomacy is often different from the actual face. Newspapers would carry stories of hated between the US and Nasser while his daughter would be a guest at the White House. Egypt has a very slanted view of its own history.
The US worked with all of Egypt's rulers. Where common interests were served, progress was made. I do not believe there is anyone who believes there was anything but respect, even when differing, between President Carter and Sadat, for example.
The US has NEVER been a colonial power. Had the US wanted to control the world, it could have after World War II without challenge even from the USSR. What did we do? We started the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe and worked to restablish democracy in Japan. Germany and Japan do not seem to have suffered too much from US influences. When the US ambassador meets with all parties in Egypt, it pays the role of a disinterested party that can listen to all opinions and try to find common ground. Maybe now this is an impossible task, but if it is possible to prevent blood from flowing in Egypt's streets (I doubt it), it is worth a try.
There are many things that must change in Egypt for it to prosper and enable its people to enjoy their lives. Egypt will need help, technical and financial, to regain a real pride in its accomplsihments (not past glories). Many nations are willing to help and to teach with the desire that Egypt be a successful nation. Boat people are of no benefit to anyone. Egypt has many things to be proud of, but please do not allow xenophobia and a false pride to prevent growth in this wonderful country. Real problems faced can be resolved.